hi everyone!
 
well, I just got back from the vet and I must say I am pissed (excuse my
language)!  I went to get a booster shot for my little Pechu.  It was for
distemper.  maybe I'm expecting too much, but when you go to a vet, you
expect the same vet every time and that the vet knows your pet and the vet
answers your questions with pleasure.  AM I expecting too much?  I Have
been to this clinic four times; twice with my rats, and twice with my
ferret.  Every single time has been a different vet.  with the rats I can
understand because I went to put them to sleep and I don't expect them to
keep a file, but I do expect when I go with a healthy pet that the vet I
see is the same every time.  I would expect them to schedule me so that I
get to see the same vet every time.  When you have a different vet every
time you visit, it feels very impersonal, and I don't think its fair to
the pet or human.
 
Another thing that I'm a little upset about (no not that last thing) is
that the vet didn't seem too pleased when I was asking him questions.  He
was very keen on the fact that Pechu has "scabby" ears.  I KNOW it's not
mites because his ears don't bother him.  If you ask me, I think he wanted
to weasel me out of a few extra bucks, a few extra bucks I don't have.  I
told him it's not mites and that it's just excessive wax and I think he was
surprised that I was a KNOWLEDGEABLE owner and started to act defensive.
He also asked what the bottle I brought in was.  It was Ferretone.
FERRETONE! what ferret smart vet doesn't know what FERRETONE is?!?  He
then started telling me it's BAD for Pechu and that it'll give him diarreah
and blah blah blah.  Pechu has been getting Ferretone a few times daily
for MONTHS and has never had a problem with runny stools!  I told him that
I dilute it with veggie oil so that the vit A isn't toxic.  I don't think
he knew what I was talking about.  As you can tell I am a little upset.
 
The last thing I'm pissed (sorry again) off about is, maybe without reason
on my part, but I think that if you take your pet to get it's first shots,
then they should include the booster in the cost.  Apparently not so.  I
paid 70 dollars the first time which included rabies, 1st distemper, and an
examination.  When I went today, it was no examination, just the distemper
booster and it cost me 55 dollars.  Does anyone else find a problem with
this?  I didn't ask because I didn't want to create any more problems,
maybe I should have.  Am I being wrong on this one?
 
So, I would like to say that I am DEFINITELY changing vets.  The clinic
I'm complaining about is McCleary animal clinic in Clarkson (Mississauga),
Ontario.  The vet Pechu visited was Dr Vinnie Boyaninski or something like
that.  He doesn't know ferrets.  And if I'm wrong and he does, then he
doesn't show it.
 
Am I being wrong here?  Am I really just expecting too much?  Living in
a dream world?  If not, does anyone know of any *good* ferret vets in
Mississauga or Toronto or nearby??  I am willing to travel a bit or a good
ferret vet that know what he or she is talking about.
 
Thanks a lot for listening to my complaining (well, reading).  And thanks
in advance to anyone that responds to me with any comments or suggestions.
Pechu thanks you all too!
 
~Pechu and his pet, Aggie~
[Posted in FML issue 3507]